Rouge
by YellowDartVader
Summary: Anakin returns home to his young family after a long mission.


**Note** - this story is a response to a challenge here: community(dot)livejournal(dot)com/padanifanfic/tag/challenge

Rouge

by the Yellow Dart

Mission debriefings were so overrated. With no more than a quick glance, Anakin knew Obi-Wan would cover for him. They had been gone too long. What he and Obi-Wan had thought would be simple dispute resolution of a trade route dispute in the Outer Rim had quickly morphed into a week-long, aggressive, contentious battle.

When the ship landed, the door flew open, and Anakin was gone in a flash. Without looking back, Anakin dashed home with record speed. As he raced toward his apartment, he considered their mission, his expression sour. The closer he got to his apartment, the stronger the pull he felt. His wife. His son. His daughter. Their Force signatures calmed his weary soul and made him push his troubles aside.

Still, a week off-planet was far too long; Anakin didn't dare think about the milestones he might have missed in his children's young lives. But he was home now, ready to see their smiling, cherubic faces. Opening the front door, his frown turned into a smile. " Padmé," he called as he strode confidently into the living room.

She didn't respond, but he heard water running in the 'fresher and assumed she was there. His mood grew lighter with each step he took toward his family. Their Force signatures grew stronger the closer he came.

As Anakin peeked into his bedroom, through the open door, he grinned at what he saw. "Leia," he cooed to the toddler sitting on the floor just in front of Padmé's dresser.

When she heard his voice, the little girl's face lit up. "Daddy!" she squealed as she stood on wobbly legs. Extending her arms out to him, she demanded he pick her up for a hug.

Quickly, he came into the room and gathered Leia in his arms. After a quick kiss, Leia snuggled against his chest as he carried her to the bed. Kicking off his heavy Jedi boots, he said, "Did you miss me, Princess."

"Yes," Leia declared as she grabbed his noce; her toothy grin spread from ear to ear.

Nuzzling against Leia's baby-soft hair, he whispered, "I missed you so much." After a few moments cuddling his daughter, Anakin asked, "Did Mommy miss me?"

Leia just nodded and snuggled a bit deeper into Anakin's cloak.

Anakin trailed a finger down Leia's chubby cheek. "Speaking of Mommy, where is she? And where's Luke?"

Leia pulled her head away from Anakin's chest and giggled. "Lukie got dirty."

"He did, did he?" Anakin trailed his index finger under Leia's chin so she looked at him. He had a feeling that she looked a little too guilty.

Leia nodded solemnly, her eyes wide. "Mommy was mad."

He had a feeling he already knew the basic answer, or at least the culprit, but he asked anyway, "How did Luke get dirty?"

Leia said, "Like this," and took a cylindrical tube out from where it was hidden inside her sleeve. Before Anakin had time to fully register what she was doing in time to stop her, she opened the tube and started marking on Anakin's face with what he could only assume was Padmé's make up.

"Leia!" he exclaimed, for lack of anything more intelligible to say. After she had drawn on his cheeks and lips, he managed to grab her pudgy hand and pull it away from his face.

"Daddy looks pretty!" She dissolved into a fit of giggles. "Like Lukie," she added.

Before Anakin could respond, he felt Padmé's presence before he even saw her. "Anakin --" She began, but didn't get a chance to finish. Her smile turned into a frown when she saw Anakin's face. "-- Leia! What did I tell you about my lipstick."

A guilty little girl burrowed her head into Anakin's cloak.

"Daddy!" Luke, soaking wet and clad only in a towel, exclaimed as he struggled out of Padmé's arms. Trying not to hurt Luke, Padmé directed her attention away from Leia and Anakin for a moment until Luke was safely on the floor.

The little boy toddled toward the bed with his arms extended for Anakin to pick him up.

"Luke!" Anakin grabbed his son with his metallic arm, still holding Leia in his flesh arm. "I missed you, too." After a few more kisses from his children, Anakin stood from the bed and took a few steps toward Padmé, who still stood near the 'fresher door.

She quickly closed the distance between them, and threw her arms around Anakin's waist. "Anakin," she whispered, "I can't believe you're finally home."

Anakin took a moment to put the twins down and then wrapped his arms around Padmé, pulling her close. "I missed you so much."

Padmé looked down at the twins and then back up at Anakin. "Not nearly as much as I missed you."

Anakin leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. "Impossible," he groaned before he kissed her again.

"Leia's right, you know," Padmé said between kisses, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

"Hmm?"

"You do look pretty."

"You always look pretty," Anakin growled, with a rogue grin on his face, not taking the bait. He brought his flesh hand up to trace a path across her lips and smooth some of the lipstick that his kisses had left on her face.

Meeting his eyes, Padmé just nodded slightly. Then she yawned and patted each of her children's heads. "All right, Luke, Leia, I think it's bed time."

Before they could protest, Anakin swept both into his arms and started toward their rooms. With his son and daughter in his arms and his wife behind him, Anakin realized that there was no better place in the galaxy.

The End


End file.
